Driving-gearing.



R. H. GILBERT.

DRIVING GEARING.

Arrmoyugl funn und, 1909.

" UNT-TED STATES PATENT oFFion ROYAL ii. GILBERT, or LAKEWOOD, o Hio.

DRIVING- GEARING.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 1.8,- 1910.

Application filed February 1, 1909. Serial-No. 475,329.

To all whom fit vmay concern:

Be it known that I, ROYAL H. GILBERT, a citizen o1' the United States, residing at Lakewood, iii the county of Cuyahoga and S'State of Ohio, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements in Driving-Germ ing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the driving mechanism for motor vehicles and the like. and is particularly designed as an improvement over the construction shown in .my prorapplications No. 358,229 filed 15 1907, both wherein a member associated with the rear axle causes the coupling of the 'wheels t`o the driving member so as to be driven thereby in either of its directions 'of rotation, and further whereby when one- O wheel'or one member drivemby the'axle or shaft is required to move faster than 'the other that it may automatically release itself 'from the driving mechanism and rotate freely while the driving mechanism may 2 5 continue to drive the other shaft, wheel or membeiz l lvThe present invention' relates more particularly to the arrangement and construcceiitci' of the rearaxle whereby the. axle seci-` tions4 inay be readily disconnected andrenioved troni the drivin mechanism without interfering with the re ationship or adjusts ment of suohfdriving mechanism..

More s ecifically the invention relates to a .s uitaoie ioiisingladapted to receive or to have seciiijedto it, the main driving gear' or' sprocket which is operated-by the motor .and

preferably 4upon [the 'inside of such housingv to be providedwith-fs'uitable cams which 'oooperatey with-other. cani's'in shifting an 'internal member j 'whichjin vturnj is provided l with-suitable drive coupling members adapted--by themovemen't' 'of such internal mein# 5 'ber. tohhe brought intongagement with the 'f i` forward, or reverse'jcoiplijng devices which @'Feb. 19, 1907 and No. 366,957 iled April 8 tion of the several parts at substantially/ the i e] main housing and the ,operation issiieh thatnpQn the Adriviifig of 'the'mai'n .gear 1 f and housing, theinn'eimember is s'hifted';

`.coupling 'members carriedtherebyv to'be' thrown -int'oen agement withjtheforwaid- -155 Orfreverse o o'iip ing members carried bythe' i shaft members according to the direction oi rotation of the housing.

The invention may be furtherbriey summarized as consisting in the construction and combinations vof parts as hereinafter set forth in the specification, dravvi'ngsy and claims.

" Referring to the drawings, Figure f1' isa side elevation of the-device with portions broken away to more clearly show. the internal mechanism thereof and withportons of ythe .internal mechanism broken away and Fig. 2 is a detail view showing someof the parts in detail.

In carrying out my invention 'any l prefei'red form and construction of partsmay be employed so long as they possess the` 'necessa-ry features, but I have shown .oiieQr-m. in the drawings which meets the requirements very eil'ectively and in such v embodiment l represents the main housing', provided with a member 2 for receiving the main driving gear or sprocket.v Secured-*t0 the ends of this housing are-bearignmembers 3- in the endsl of which are mounted the shaft drivin members 4, each of which is provided wit i va squared opening, opening o ut at the end of'the housing,' a11ange;6 ,adaptedto engage"the inside of thebearing members, and further with a squaredxend 7 extending'within the housing. `Otneg.9f:tl1ese two squared ends 7 of .the shaft 'drivefgmembers is provided centrall .with a. 8 `which telescopes into a sui-table opening in the. other for insuring' the proper.alinement of one'witli respect` .to the other. Each of ythe 's uaied'eiids 7 oftheaxle members is provi ed with acollar Shaving aA squared opening therein for receiving the squared ends'7 and with a set screw 1 0 for holding the .collar against endwise movement -ii on Ythe s quaredends 7. Each squared en 4is l '-furtherprovided with two clutch members 1 1- and 112 which aresl'idably mounted vvupon tlie squared end-4 and rare heldagaiii'st the' vsides of the 'collar '9 by means oita-'s'piing 13 im'ounted between the fiange Gand 'the-.clutch 'member 11,- anda spring-1 4 mounted between theolutch member 12 :of one squaredl end 7 andthe clutch member llofthe other' I B y this arrangementit; will .clut'eh members-1.1 @M112 are yieldinglyeld .against the collar'9 of thefright-hand s ii'red end 7, as shown in nj.` 1th? dmwlng; the-other clutch members 11 and 12 are ieldingly held against the collar 9 of the eft-hand squared end 7, as shown.

Each of the bearingA members 3 is pro. vided within the housing 1with inwardly projecting cam lugs l5, in a 'circular arrangevided upon its side faces with .teeth and 21, the teeth 2.0 being turned in a reverse direction to the teeth 21 on each clutch v member. These driving clutch members are further provided with squared radial projections 22 which fit into squared openings 23 in the cam member 241 which is secured to the driving clutch members'by means of suitable screws or. bolts 25.` The driving clutch members are of less thickness than thespacebetween the corresponding clutch members 11 and 12 whereby the clutch teeth on" one side thereof willbe out of mesh be- .fore the teeth 'on the other side move into mesh. Upon both edges of this cam member 24 are cams'26 which are arranged to coperate with the cani lugs 15 carried by thebearing members, and these cams 26 may be said to be similar in all respects to the cam' lugs with which they-coperate. These 'cams and cam lugs are always in mesh.

The relative movement of the cams carried by the cam member 24 and the cam lugs carried by the bearing members 3 is such that when the housing l is rotated in one direction, the cam faces 16 of the'cam lugs engage similar faces of the' cams carried by the cam member causing the latter to be shifted in one direction, and causing the driving clutch members 18 and 19 to be shifted likewise so that one set of' their clutch teeth are'brought into engagement with one .pair of the clutch members 11-11 and 12F-.12 causing'the driving ofthe axle drive members in onel direction; whilejupon' the" rotation ofthe housingin the opposite direction, the camfaces 16 of the opposite cam lugs coperate' with 'similar faces 'of the cams carried'by the cam member and bring 'about the shifting of the latter -in `the* oppositedirection andthe coupling of the remaini-ng-pair of the clutch members 1 .1-11

j 'snails-12.'

" To giv'ejthe operation of the device with respect toa definite rotation of thehousi'ng 1,"let us assume that 'thejhousing is rotating in a clockwise direction when viewed fromaxle sections according to the di the right end of Fig. 1. This rotation causes the cam faces 16 of the right-hand set of cam lugs to engage the similar faces of the cams carried by t-hel cam member 24 and shift lthe latter to the left when the driving clutch members 18 and 19 will be shifted to the left also, and the teeth 21 of such driving clutch members will be brought into engagement with the teeth of the forward' c utch members 12-12 and the squared ends 7 will bedriven in a clockwise direction. If one squared end 7 or if one shaft member should be required to rotate at greater speed than the other; for example, if the wheel, which is coupled to the right-hand axle drive member should have'to rotate faster than the left-hand wheel, then the right-hand clutch memberl 12 would ive and its teeth would pass over the teeth ofg the driving clutch member 18. Upon the reverse rotation of the housing 1, the cam member '24 would be shifted in the opposite direction bringing about the coupling of thetwo Sets of teeth 20 of the drive clutch I members with the teeth of the reverse driving clutches 11. In order to""overcome the friction between the parts so thatl there will be a sufficient resistance or drag, as itwere, to the cam member 24 so that the cam faces ldmayA shift it in either direction, both of t-he driving vclutch members 18 and 19 are provided with atleast one opening 27 for the reception of asspring' 28 which takes against a ball' 29 adapted for engagement with' recessesBO in the periphery of the corresponding collar 9. By this arrangement sufficient tension is brought to bear` upon theA cam member so that it normally tends'to rotate with the axles'- and not with the vhousing whereby Whena rotation is set up by the housing, the cam member will be shifted.

Having described my invention, claim 1. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a driving member, axle sections, forward and reverse coupling devices for each axle section, a driving couplmg member cooperating y 'with the coupling-devices of each axle section, and means between said driving cou# plin'g members and said driving member'. and operated by the rotation ofthe latter for automatically shifting the-driving `coupling devicesinto engagement with thefor# ward or reverse coupling devices ofthe two rection of rotation of the driving member.

2. In a driving gear for motor vehicles, in combination, a driving member, axlesections, forward and -reversecoupling menu: bers for each axle section, driving coupling devices adapted when in one position to cooperate with the forward coupling member of each axle'section, and wher-rl in another position to coperate with the reverse v4coupling' device of veach axle'section, and meansforwar axle sections according Vto the direction of ro between said driving coupling devices and the driving member and operated by therotation of the latter for shifting said driving eouplin members into engagement with 'the or reverse coupling devices of the tation of the driving member.

3. In a driving gear for motor vehicles,` in combination, a driving member, axle sections, forward and reverse coupling members for each axle section, a driving coupling device for each axle section, a member secured to said drive coupling devices, and means between said memberand the driving member andoperated by the rotation of the latter for automatically shifting said member and the driving coupling devices carried thereby into engagement with the forward or reverse coupling devices carried by the axle sections in accordance with the direction of rotation', of the driving member.

4. In a driving gear for'motor vehicles, in combination, a driving member, axle sections, forward and reverse coupling devices for each axle section, a driving coupling member for cach axle section and adapted to coperal'e with the forward and reverse coupling devices of the corresponding axle section, a cam member secured to said driving coupling devices for shifting the same, and suitable cams between said cam member and the driving member and adapted by the rotation of the latter to shift the driving coupling members into engagement with such of the, coupling devices of4 the axle sections as will cause the latter to be driven by the driving member in a forward or reverse direction according lo its direction of rotation.

5. In a driving `ear for motor vehicles, in combination, a driving member, axle driving sections, a forward and reverse coupling device for each axledriving section, a driving coupling device for each axle driving section and adapted to" coperate with the corresponding forward and reverse coupling devices, and means between said driving coupling devices and the driving member and actuated by the rotation of the latter for causing the driving coupling devices to be sllil'lcd inlo cngagcnicnl with thc forward or reverse coupling devices of the axle sections according lo the direction of rotation of the driving member.

6. ln a driving gear for motor vehicles, in combination, a driving member, axie scclions, forward and reversecoupling devices for each axle section, a driving coupling member for cach axle section and adapted to cooperate with the forward and reverse conpling devices of the corresponding axle section, a housing rotatably mounted upon said axle sections, a cam member secured to said driving coupling devices and' adapted forv shifting the same, cam lugs carried by said cam member, and cams carried by said housing and adapted by the rotation of the driving vmember to cause them to shift the cam member and the driving coupling members into engagement with such of the coupling devices of the axle sections as will cause the latter to be driven b y the driving memberin a forward or reverse direction according to `its direction of rotation.

7 In a driving gear for motor vehicles, in combination, a driving member, axle Seetions, forward and reverse coupling devices for each axle section, driving Coupling member for each axle section and adapted to cooperate with the 'corresponding forward and reverse coupling devices of each axle section, cams ea rried by said driving member, a cam member secured to said driving coupling devices for shifting the same, and suitable cams carried by said cam member and cooperating with the cams carried `by the driving member and adapted by the rotation of the latter to shift the driving coupling members into engagement with such of the coupling devices of the axle sections as will cause the latter to be driven by the driving member in a forward or reverse direction according to its direction of rotation.

8. in a driving gear for motor vehicles, in combination, axle driving sections, a housing rotatably mounted thereon, `a driving member rigid with said housing, cams carried by said housing, a forward and reverse coupling device on each of said axle driving sections, a driving coupling device rotatably mounted upon each axle sect-ion and adapted to cooperate with the corresponding forward and reverse coupling devices, a cam member secured to said driving coupling members, and cams carried by said cam member and coperating with tbe-cams of said housing.

9. ln a driving-'gear for motor vehicles, in f-f'nnbination. a pair of axle sections having squared portions, a housing rotatably mounted upon said axle sections, driving memberv carried thereby, cams carried by said housing, a forward and reverse clutch device slidably mounted upon the squared end of each axle driving section, said forward and reverse clutch devices of cach. axleY drive section having their clutclifaees opposed to each other, a driving clutch member rotatably mounted between said clutch faces, a cam member secured to said drive clutch members. and cams carried 'by said cam member and adapted to cooperate with the cams carried by said housino'.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of twowitnesscs.

ROYAL H. GIliBEl/i".

Witnesses E. J. T numana, B. WV. Bnocxnr. 

